Cigarette dispensing apparatus



pril 10, 1945. E. KING 2,373,476

CIGARETTE DISPENS ING APPARATUS Filed Aug. 2s, `1944 A2 33. I Y

Patented Apr. l0, 1945 UNiTE STATE FATENT `CFFICE CIGARETTE DISPENSING APPARATUS Eldon King, Lansing, Kans.

Application August 28, 1944, Serial No. 551,464

1 Claim.

My invention relates to improvements in cigarette dispensing apparatus.

It relates particularly to an apparatus by which cigarettes contained in a casing may be removed therefrom one at a time and held in an easily accessible dispensing position.

One of the objects of .my invention is the provision of novel means of very simplined construction for removing the cigarettes from the casing and elevating them, one at a time, to the dispensing position.

A further object of my invention is the provision of a novel apparatus of the kind described, which is simple, cheap to make, strong, durable, not likely to get out of order, and which is efficient in its operation.

The novel features of my invention are hereinafter fully described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawing, illustrative of a preferred form of my invention,

' Fig. 1 is a vertical sectional View of my improved apparatus taken on the plane of the line I-I of Fig. 3, showing the pickup device in the cigarette dispensing position, and the removing member fully retracted to the receiving position.

Fig. 2 is a side view of the apparatus partly in vertical section and partly in elevation, showing the pickup device in the pickup position, and the removing member in the delivery position.

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the apparatus, with the casing partly broken away, and showing the pickup device in the dispensing position, and the removing member in the receiving position.

Fig. 4 is a top view of the removing member.

Fig. 5 is an under view of the casing cover.

Fig. 6 is a view of. the operating arm of the removing member, shown partly in elevationand partly in vertical section, and showing in cross section the link pivoted to the arm.

Similar characters of reference designate similar parts in the different Views.

'A supporting means is provided comprising -a boxlike base having a top I, sides 2, ends 3, and a bottom 4.

On the top I of thebase is a rectangular casing having a back wall 5 and sides 6 fastened at their lower ends to the upper side of Ithe top I oi the base, and having a front wall 'I spaced at its lower end from the top I to provide a rectangulary opening.

The upper end of the casing has a filling opening normally closed by a removable cover 9.

Within the casing is mounted an inclined floorlike member 9 which extends to and against the inner, sides of the side walls 6, and which slopes vthe casing, its cross sectional dimensions being such that it will close said opening, and its upper side being substantially in the horizontal plane of the lower end of the'inclined member 9.

The upper side of the removing member `I2 next adjacent to its front end is provided with a transverse channel I3, so disposed that, when `the removing member I2 is in its rearmost oigarette receiving position, shown in Fig. 1', the channel I3 will be just below and in vertical alinement with the discharge passage I Il between the front wall 'I and the inclined member 9, whereby when a cigarette is discharged downwardly through said passage, it will fall and rest longitudinally in the channel I3.

When the removing member I2 is moved outwardly and forwardly to the position shown in Fig. 2, the cigarette II in the channel I3 will be removed to the exterior delivery position shown in Fig. 2.

For moving the removing member I2 horizontally reciprocatively between the cigarette receiving position, shown in Fig. 1, to the delivery position, shown in Fig. 2, saidremoving member is provided in its lower side with a verticalrv opening in which is tightly fitted and held a vertical arm comprising a pin I Ll, which extends downwardly through a slotl I5 in the top I of the base, they lower end of which pin I4 has in it a vertical slot I6 in which is pivoted the rear end of a link comprising a longitudinal flat plate I'I, by a pin I8; The function of the link I'I will be later explained.

For engaging and lifting the delivered cigarette from the delivery position to an elevated easily accessible dispensing position, cigarette pickup means are'provided, which may be of diiierent forms and construction, but which in the form shown comprises a pickup device consisting of the following described parts.

l A structure simulating in appearance that of a bird consisting of a body portion I9 having `mounted on it a head portion 20 provided with a beak consisting of anupper bill 2l anda lower bill 22, the bills diverging outwardly from the portion is a pin 23 having its ends tightly fitted in two registering holes provided respectively in the upper side of the body portion I9 and in the under side of the head portion 20. Extendingupwardly and rearwardly Lfrom the body portion I9 is a portion 24 simulating a tail of the bird.

The under side of the body portion I9 rests on the upper side of a horizontal cylindrical member 25, which extends into an opening 26 in the topI of the base and has projecting from its lower side, under the top I, an arm 21, similar in construction to the arm or pin I4, having its upper end tightly tted in a radial vhole in the under side of the cylindricalmember 25.

The member 'has extending through it centrally and lengthwise a supporting axial rod 28, which with ,the member 25, body portion I9, head portion 20, beak 2I-22, tailportion 24, armor pin 21, pin 23 and a pin 29, mounted in two registering holes in the underside of the body portion IS and in the upperside of the member 25, constitute a pickup means or device.

For oscillatively supporting the said pickup device on the top I- of the base outside the casing, the ends of the rod 28 are respectively pivoted in two bearing members 3Ilfastened on the top I of the base atopposite sides respectively ofthe opening 26 in the top I.

As before stated one end of the link I1 is pivoted tothe arm or pin I4, the other end of the link I'I is pivoted in the slot 3l in the lower end of the arm or pin 21 by apin 32.

In operation, when the pickup device is swung, as by manually grasping the tailportion 24, from the dispensing position, shown in Fig. 1 to the pickup position, shown in Fig. 2, the radial arm or pin 2'I will operate to draw the link I1 to Athe right, thus through the arm or pin I4 forcing V the removing member I2 from the receiving position,

shown in Fig. 1 to the delivery position, shown in Fig. 2.

When the pickup device is so swung the delivered cigaretteA II vin the channel I3 will be forced between the bills 2| andr22 of the beak, so that it will be firmly Aheld in the transverse position by the beak.

By then manually retracting the pickup -device to the dispensing position, shown in Fig. 1, as by manually moving the tail portion 24 tothe right, the beak will carry the cigarette upwardly `to the delivery position, shown in Fig. l.

At the same time that `the pickup-deviceY isso retracted to the dispensing position, the link I'I, through the arm or pin I4, will fully retract the removing member I2 to its inner receiving position, shown in Fig. 1,in which another cigarette will automatically fall into the channel I3, thus completing a cycle. l

There is nolost motion in thelink mechanism connecting the removing member I2 with the pickup device, so that they always move simultaneously in passing to and from the pickup position, shown in Fig. 2. To eliminate unnecessary exactness of constructionjof the parts, and to avoid possible interference of the beak members 2i and 22 with the removing member, when the beak is moving into and retracting from the pickup position, a notch 33, wide enough to receive the beak, is provided in the upper side and front end of the member I2 transversely across both sides ofthe channel I3.,l 1

The lower bill or beak member 22 striking the bottom of the channel I3 limits the downward movement of the pickup device and the outward movement of the removing member I2. The rear or inner end of the removing member striking the back wall 5 limits the rearward movement of the removing member I2 and the upward movement of the pickup device to the dispensing position, shown in Fig. 1.

Releasable means for yieldingly holding the pickup device in the dispensing position, and the removing member I2 in the retracted position, shown in Fig, 1, is provided. Such form of said yielding means, as is shown in the drawing, comprises a rubber elastic loop 34 having its front end embracing the arm or pin I4 and its rear end embracing a nail or brad 35 fastened in the under side of the top I at the rear of the slot I5.

The rubber loop 34 can be used to retract the pickup device to the upright dispensing position,

shown in Fig. 1, but it is preferred to manually oscillate the pickup device by grasping the tail portion 24 thereof, and avoid possible accidental dropping of the cigarette from the dispensing position,vas might occur by a` too rapid upward movement and sudden stoppage, as could occur with the use alone of the rubber loop 24 for effecting such upward movement.

The complete operation may be brieiiy described, as follows, the parts being in the positions shown in Fig. l; when cigarettes 'Il are placed in the casing on the inclined member 9, the foremost cigarette will drop into the channel I3. By grasping the tail portion 24, the pickup device is swung counter-clockwise to the pickup position shown in Fig. 2, the removing member I2 being moved at'the same time forwardly to the delivery position.

The beak 2I-22 entering the channel I3 will engage opposite sides of the delivered cigarette, which will be forced into the beak in which it will be frictionally held. The hand of the operator then, by means of the tail portion 24, will retract the pickup device clockwise to the dispensing position, shown in Fig. 1, in which position, Vit will be stopped by the removing member I2 striking the back wall 5, when another cigarette will fall into the channel I3. The elevated cigarette is then removed from the beak, after which the rubber loop 34 will retain the pickup device and the removing member I2 in their positions, as shown in Fig. 1.

Many modifications of my invention, within the scope of the appended claim, may be made without departing from the spirit of my invention.

What I claim is:

In a cigarette dispensing apparatus, in combination, a base box having a perforated top, a casing on. said top having means for supporting cigarettes and for delivering' them downwardly one at a time, and provided with a lateral opening, a removing member closing and reciprocative in said opening on said base and having an arm extending downwardly through said base by which said removing member can be oscillated between a cigarette receiving position in said casing to a cigarette delivery position exterior of said casing, said removing member having means for catching a cigarette delivered from said casing and conveying it to the delivery position exterior of said casing, a pickup device having a supporting member extending downwardly through said base top and having a downwardly extending arm below said top, said pickup device having mounted on said supporting member cigarette pickup means and means whereby it may be manually oscillated between a lowered pickup position and a raised dispensing position, means on the top of said base outside said casing for pivoting said supporting member on a horizontal axis, a link below said top, and meansfconnecting said link with said arms by which, when said pickup device is swung to the pickup position, 

